Before the Sakura Falls
by Sarudoshi
Summary: Until the late spring of 1864, Yasakawa never would have imagined that her life would take a change for the adventurous when she acquired the last name "Hijikata". Her old life has faded away like the last snowfall before the first spring rain... told from Yasakawa's POV. possible OC/ Souji, OC/ Hajime, rated T for language and some slightly gory action scenes.
1. Guren

_i am __**BACK**__, duckies! missed me?  
lol anywho, before i get to the real action this is a little side-story/ prologue to let you guys get the feel of what's going to go down in the main story i'm publishing later on. a taste of what's going to happen, so to speak._

_anyway, enjoy reading! _

_**Hijikata**__**Yasakawa**__ belongs to me_ **_WhiteWolf 5.2013_**_/_**_ xPorcelain Vampirex_**; _the __**Hakuouki**_ _crew belong to __**Kazuki Yone-sensei**__._

**edit**: _the_ _title_ _is_ _from_ **the Gazette_'_s**_ song "_**Guren**_"._

* * *

**_Chapter One: Guren_**

**_[April, 1864]_**

He watched the elder bow slightly before him.

"Thank you for kindly offering to take her with you, Hijikata-fukutaisho." He said.

He nodded. "It's no trouble." He replied.

A rushing of footsteps sounded outside the room before someone yanked the shoji doors open, allowing daylight to shine in the room.  
He looked at the owner of the footsteps, his violet eyes trained on the young woman that was supposed to be his half-sister and newly-appointed responsibility.

A young woman that looked to be twenty years old stood in the doorway, her jet black hair falling down her shoulders gracefully; her gray eyes met his curious violet stare.

"Ah, young Yasakawa. I had been wondering where you were," the elder greeted the girl in a light tone, steering the attention of the visitor to him once more.

The young woman huffed and crossed her arms at her chest. "I told you, Takashi-san, I hate my full name! It's 'Kawa'." She declared in an annoyed tone.

The elder smiled lightly.  
"Ah yes, I forgot. Yasakawa, allow me to introduce you to your half-brother, Hijikata Toshizou." He nodded to the stranger, ignoring the tick in her cheek and glare full of daggers she sent in his direction.

Her gray eyes found his violet again and she made a face, pursing her full lips. "Aren't you a little **old** to be my _half-brother_?" She wondered pointedly.

He scowled at her remark. "Aren't _you_ a little old to be acting like a **child**?" He retorted.

She huffed again and scowled. "Jerk." She spared the elder one glance before she looked away.  
"I'll go get my things," she excused herself, trotting down the raised pathway to her room.

Hijikata frowned at the elder. "Takashi-san, are you sure she's actually my half-sister...?" He asked slowly, already finding this brat to be a nuisance aside from her attitude that had already pissed him off.

Takashi-san smiled again. "Absolutely positive! Now according to your father's will, he requested that you look after this child, by any means necessary." He reminded.

He frowned again and exhaled, crossing his arms in his sleeves. "All right, all right." He muttered in defeat.

* * *

She looked up at him as he walked next to her. "So what do you do for a living? It's obviously not a traveling salesman, otherwise you wouldn't be carrying around two swords." She asked, noticing the two black _katana_ at his left hip.

He looked at her and huffed. "I am the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. I don't understand why in hell my father wanted me to look after a brat I barely know," he mused aloud.

She scoffed. "Don't ask me, I wasn't the one who wrote his will. And the Shinsengumi? No wonder you don't have much manners with women," she quipped.

Hijikata scowled, a vein twitching dangerously on his temple.  
"If that will wasn't the only thing standing in my way, I swear..." He growled.  
Kawa quieted and scowled, crossing her arms at her chest.  
"Relax, will you? Geez, you're bein' a real tykewad." She mused.

He scowled again and huffed, looking away; his eyes caught the two swords strapped to her right hip. "I wasn't aware you knew how to wield a sword," he mused, perking her ears.

She looked down at her _katana_ and _wakizashi_, nodding.  
"My dojo sensei taught me, when I was little. Said he wanted me to learn to defend myself when I got older, so I learned the way of the sword and he taught me until he passed away a few years ago." She explained quietly.

He nodded slightly. "So where did the swords come from, then? Or did he bestow them to you before he died?" He asked.

She nodded. "He gave me the _katana_. The _wakizashi_ I got from beating a kid when I was twelve at a duel." She added lightly.

Hijikata smirked slightly. "Perhaps you could be useful, after all," he mused, perking her ears.  
Kawa blinked. "What's that mean?" She asked.

He allowed the smirk to remain.  
"If you can wield a sword and defend yourself, then I see no problem allowing you to stay with us." He explained.

She widened her eyes slightly. "Stay with you, in the Shinsengumi? Really?" She wondered.

Hijikata nodded.  
"On one condition; you will refrain from getting yourself into any trouble, and you will obey what I or the commander say. Is that understood?" He asked, looking down at her.

Kawa quieted and nodded slightly. "Understood." She replied, watching him nod as well before he led the way to their headquarters.  
She trotted to catch up to him, coming short of his right side. "Um, Toshizou... Is it all right if I call you 'Toshi-nii'?" She asked, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

He made a face before he nodded. "Yes, I suppose it's appropriate, considering we **are** related." He mused, reluctant to take on such a pet-name like 'Toshi-nii', especially coming from a woman he hardly had known until a while ago.

Kawa smiled lightly. "'Toshi-nii' it is, then!" She said.

Hijikata quieted and smiled slightly. "So I suppose I should call you 'Kawa' instead of your full name, right?" He guessed.

She nodded. "I hate my full name, so yeah, 'Kawa' is great." She replied.  
He smirked slightly. "'Kawa' it is." He mused.

* * *

"Yo, Hijikata-san, we all were wonderin' when you were gonna come back..." A jovial voice called when he entered the compound first.

He looked at the owner of the voice to see the blue-eyed captain Nagakura Shinpachi had come to greet him, Harada Sanosuke at his side as always. "Were you so worried that you felt to send out a search

party?" He quipped, hearing her follow him inside.

Shinpachi huffed. "Well not exactly..." He quieted as he saw their guest; a girl that looked to be twenty years old with jet black hair and gray eyes stood beside their vice-commander, her gray eyes meeting his.

"Whoa... Hijikata-san, who's the girl?" He asked.

She blinked and then huffed.  
"'The girl' can answer for herself. My name's Kawa." She answered, sticking a thumb and poking it at her chest as she scowled slightly as he made a face at her talking out of turn.

Sano poked his head out from beside Shinpachi, looking at her. "Is she related to you, Hijikata-san..? She looks too pretty to be related to you..." He wondered.

Kawa blushed and huffed again.

Hijikata smirked slightly at his silencing of the girl, nodding. "I'll explain later. Kawa, I'll show you to your room." He replied, nodding to the girl and leading her past the two captains.

She glanced back at them and smiled slightly, following her half-brother further into the compound.

Shinpachi looked at his friend. "Well, what d'ya think?" He wondered.

Sano watched her leave and shrugged. "She seems like she'll be a handful." He smiled slightly and sighed. "But knowing Hijikata-san, he'll straighten her out." He added.

* * *

She seemed to pout.

_Talk about dismal_, she thought as she looked about her room, seeing that the only things that stuck out were a desk on one side of her room and an open closet at the far wall.

She sighed quietly and dropped her bag down on the floor, placing her swords down with the bag as she went to inspect the closet, finding that there was a dead bug in one corner and the rest of it looked like it hadn't been used in a long time.

"I guess this is a temporary place, then," she mused aloud as she pulled her head out of the closet, closing the door.

"So how long have you been outta heaven, angel?" Someone wondered behind her, perking her ears; she looked over her shoulder and widened her eyes slightly.

A young man that looked her age with shoulder-length russet brown hair stood against her doorway, his arms across his chest, as he stared at her with playful green eyes.

Her cheeks burned at his compliment and she huffed, scowling. "W-who the hell're you?" She stammered, her gray eyes resembling steel when they locked on his green gaze.

He shrugged innocently. "Okita Souji. Y'know, considering you're not from around here, you're actually beautiful." He added calmly, making the blush in her cheeks deepen.

She huffed again. "Souji, huh? My name's Kawa. Hijikata Yasakawa." She answered.

He blinked before a smile formed on his face, making him resemble a cat. _That explains things_, he thought.  
"Hijikata, huh? Ya don't look as scary as Hijikata-san, I'll admit that. Never knew he had a sister that was as beautiful as you." He said.

Kawa blushed more and smirked slightly. "Half-sister." She corrected.  
Souji nodded. "Well either way, I guess he's lettin' you stay here huh?" He wondered.

She nodded. "Yeah; my mother passed away a few weeks ago, and Toshi-nii decided to take me in." She mused, lowering her gaze to the floor.

His eyes softened and he smiled sadly.  
"I'm sorry for your mother. But other than that, him lettin' you stick around is a first. Hijikata-san never really hangs around women, so it's a surprise he decided to allow you to stay with the Shinsengumi." He mused aloud.

She lifted a brow. "I didn't get that vibe off of him, but that might explain things." She shrugged and smiled slightly.

He returned the smile. _This girl, she might be useful around here_, he mused.

* * *

"Whoa, so she's your sister..? Wow," the youngest of their group, Todou Heisuke, piped up in awe as he looked over at the young woman as she ate calmly.

"For a second there, we all thought you'd brought your fiance or somethin' like that over to spend the night," the blue-eyed brunette Shinpachi thought aloud, ribbing Sanosuke that snickered.  
Both Hijikata and Kawa's eyes opened alertly at his words before they spat out their tea.

"Y-you bastard..!" Hijikata sputtered a snarl, glaring angrily at the blue-eyed captain as he, Sanosuke and Heisuke laughed at the sight.  
"Jackass, he's my half-brother for the gods' sakes..!" Kawa cried, glowering at all three of them and making a mental note to beat the shit out of them in the morning.

"Y'know, at first it was hard to see the resemblance between you two, but it's obvious now." Souji noted lightly as he sat at her right.  
Kawa punched him annoyedly, a vein on her brow twitching dangerously. "Stay out of this, you idiot!" She snapped.

"So, Yasakawa-san, Hijikata-kun tells us that you're going to stay within the Shinsengumi headquarters." Deputy-commander Sannan-san spoke up calmly, changing subject and inadverdently saving Harada, Nagakura, and Todou from getting killed by the still-pissy Hijikata.

She blinked before nodding slightly. "Yeah, that's the plan. I'm very grateful to be among strong samurai such as yourselves," she replied, smiling in appreciation.

Commander Kondou-san laughed lightly. "It appears your half-sister isn't at all like you believed she was, Toshi." He pointed out, perking the girl's ears.  
Kawa looked over at her half-sibling. "What all did you say anyway, brother..?" She wondered from sipping her tea, her gray eyes locking on his violet.

Hijikata scowled slightly at her and sipped his own tea. "That information is classified, Yasakawa." He said coolly.  
She made a face. "I told you not to call me that. It's 'Kawa'." She chided.

The quiet Saitou Hajime briefly looked up from eating to see a momentary flash of stubborn fire shine in the young woman's eyes so they resembled illuminated steel blades; he smirked to himself at the sight.

Kawa finished eating a few moments later and straightened to her feet, yawning.  
"I guess I'll go rest; s' been a long day." She mused, looking at the occupants of the room and smiling lightly. "'Night, all." She said, sliding the  
door open and stepping out into the cool April night.

"'Night!" Some of the men replied before she left down the raised pathway, their attention returning to the room.

* * *

_feedback is well loved so review please! thanks~ :'D_


	2. Tokugawa Smile

as i mentioned in the first chapter, this's a short story/prologue for what's going to happen in the later story. enjoy!

_**Hijikata Yasakawa**__ belongs to __**me**__; the __**Hakuouki**__ crew belong to __**Kazuki**__**Yone**__-__**sensei**__._

**edit**_: the title is referenced from the song "_**Giving Up the Gun**_" by _**Vampire Weekend**

_**Chapter Two: Tokugawa Smile**_

* * *

Birds chirped lightly.  
She frowned at the smudge on her _wakizashi_, rubbing at it vigorously with the cleaning cloth.

"I didn't peg you to be a neat-freak," someone mused calmly nearby, perking her ears; she looked up to meet the cool blue stare of Saitou Hajime.

Her cheeks warmed slightly; she smiled sheepishly. "I'm not, but it's just that this damn smudge won't come off." She shrugged, watching him come to sit down next to her on the pathway.

He looked at her _wakizashi_, glancing at the sheathed _katana_ leaning against the pathway.  
"How long have you known how to wield a sword?" He wondered; the sight of a woman wielding a blade was strange, but if she was capable of striking down an enemy, then it was more power to her. This girl really was strange, ontop of defying the old law that forbade women to use swords.

She shrugged again. "Since I was little. My mother sent me to a dojo where my late sensei trained me to defend myself. Wielding a _katana_ was one of the things he taught me." She explained calmly, her gaze sombering as she recalled her sensei's passing.

Hajime nodded. "Your mother must've been proud of you." He mused.

Kawa nodded as well and smiled again.  
"Yeah, she was. You said your name was Hajime, right?" Her eyes met his and she blushed. "That's a great name." She offered.

He let his gaze linger on hers a second longer than he'd intended, clearing his throat and looking away. "Thank you." He replied, his voice quieting.  
She smirked at embarrassing him, brushing strands of hair from her face. "Though '_Haji-kun_' sounds better." She added lightly.

Hajime's cheeks warmed and his ears burned at her pet-name she'd bestowed on him, huffing. "It sounds ridiculous." He quipped, looking away from her teasing gray gaze.

Kawa laughed and grinned playfully. "No it doesn't. I like it; from now on you're 'Haji-kun', instead." She teased.

He made a face and scowled at her, making her laugh again; his eyes softened before he cleared his throat. "I must be going," he excused himself, straightening to his feet.

She looked up at him confusedly. "Did I say something?" She wondered.

He shook his head. "No, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just that my patrol shift is starting," he replied, his blue eyes inadvertently locking on her gray gaze again.

Kawa blushed and lowered her gaze, looking up at him and smiling again. "Well have fun out there, then," she said lightly.

Hajime nodded and smiled slightly. "I'm looking forward to it," he mused with a hint of sarcasm; she laughed quietly, watching him walk away from her to get ready to be sent out.

She looked up at the slow moving clouds and smiled softly. "He's not as bad as I thought he was," she mused to herself.

* * *

He looked at her in surprise.

"You want to do _what_?" He demanded, regaining his composure and furrowing his brow.

She met his gaze with calm gray eyes. "Go on patrol with the others. I mean, if it's not a lot of trouble on your part, Toshi-nii." She added.

He folded his arms in his purple _kosode_ sleeves and kept the frown on his brow. "It isn't a lot of trouble... But I still forbid it." He replied, perking her ears.

Kawa furrowed her brow and scowled. "Why not? I said I could look after myself, and..." She protested.

"That's beside the point! It's dangerous for you to be seen with the Shinsengumi. Incase you forgot, you're a woman, and women are forbidden from joining the ranks of the Shinsengumi, let alone not permitted to wield a blade." Hijikata interjected, silencing her.

She scoffed. "Doesn't that make you a hypocrite, too? You're the one who took me in, Toshi. You knew the law, yet here I am..." She argued.

He glared into her steely gray eyes.  
"Don't patronize me, Yasakawa. You are forbidden from going out on patrol with the others, and that is final." He snapped sternly.

"But _Toshi_...!" Kawa began.

"**That's** **an** **order**, **Yasakawa**!" Hijikata spat, his violet eyes promising worse than a verbal threat if she opened her mouth again.

She glowered into his violet eyes before she jumped to her feet and threw the door to the meeting room open, storming out into the warm afternoon.

He glared after her exit and huffed.

* * *

She didn't know where she was going; she just knew she had to get away from that place as fast as her feet could carry her.

"Hey, you lost, girl?" A male voice called as she was crossing the bridge.  
She paused to look over her shoulder to see a man staring at her, a second man at his side; both of them, she noticed, carried two swords.

Ronin, _this early in the day?_ She wondered to herself, turning to scowl at him. "What's it to you?" She spat defiantly, planting a fist on her left hip.

The man who'd first called to her smirked and huffed.  
"Don'tcha know it's forbidden for women to wield a sword? Besides, you look lost. Maybe me and my friend should escort ya somewhere safe," he suggested slyly, his eyes darting to the flash of cleavage that poked out from beneath the folds of her white vest-like _kosode_.

She huffed and turned to walk away.  
"No thanks. Go find some brothel bitch in Shimabara instead," she called over her shoulder, perking up as she saw a third man standing at the opposite end of the bridge, two swords at his left hip as he stared at her like the other two men did.

Her left hand flew to the pommel of her _katana_; _shit, not good_, she mentally swore, her teeth grinding together.

"Oh, but we _**insist**_." The first man sneered as he and his two companions rushed the woman.

She glowered over her shoulder at the two men who rushed at her, throwing a look at the one in front of her; she sighed and drew her _katana_.

The one infront of her blinked back surprise as she flew at him, dying sunlight glinting off her _katana_ as the blade was thrust forward.

Blood flew.  
The man grimaced, staring down with wide eyes at the _katana_ that stabbed into his beating heart; his eyes flew to the woman.

Her gray eyes were cold steel as she stared at him emotionlessly; she twisted the blade, hearing it stab through his back with a sickening '_squelch_'.

She quickly withdrew the blade, yanking it out; the man sputtered and fell at her feet, crimson pooling beneath his dying body.

"Shit, Kaname!" One of the two men behind her barked, directing her attention away from the dying man; she looked over her shoulder at their surprised faces.  
The one who'd spoken to her first clenched his teeth and drew his _katana_. "You bitch!" He flew at her.

She sprinted for the other end of the bridge, whirling about with her own _katana_ in hand as the man raised his blade high overhead.

A spear point stabbed through the man's shoulder; her eyes widened.  
The man cried out in pain as the spear's blade dug deep into his flesh. "W-Who are...?" He growled, glaring at the woman and the owner of the spear.

"Drawing your sword on an innocent woman? If I knew you better, I'd have advised against it... _Especially_ since she has _friends_." The owner of the spear chided calmly from behind her.

Kawa looked behind her and met the gold eyes of Harada Sanosuke. "Sano..?" She breathed in surprise.

Sano looked at her and smiled lightly. "You all right, Kawa-chan?" He asked gently.

She nodded, watching his spear drop the man and let him sink down onto the bridge before them, letting her friend move forward to face him.  
The second man turned to sprint away from the sight of the Shinsengumi captain; the blunt end of a blade met his face when he turned away, surprising him.

"You're lucky Harada-san stepped in to save the girl, otherwise this blade would have stabbed through your **pitiful skull** a second ago." Saitou Hajime said coldly, his blue eyes dangerous as the men from his patrol squad bared their blades like a pack of wolves, glowering into the scared man's gaze.

"Hajime," Kawa said in relief.

It took only several minutes for their men to arrest the two remaining ronin, leaving Sano, Hajime, and Kawa standing on the preferred side of the bridge.

He looked at the woman as she sheathed her _katana_. "That was very reckless, taking on three men alone." He said, perking her ears.

She scowled at him and huffed. "They were pigs anyway. I was doing them a favor by cutting them down." She argued, crossing her arms at her chest.

The tall brunette planted a hand on the girl's head, slightly surprising her; he ruffled her hair and smiled sheepishly. "You did great, though, Kawa-chan, and you survived so that's the point, isn't it?" He wondered, hoping to pacify the two from arguing.

Kawa looked up at his gold eyes and blushed slightly before her eyes softened and she nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you for saving me, Harada-san." She smiled lightly.

Sano returned the smile and ruffled her hair again before removing his hand from her head. "Drop the formality, will you? It's 'Sano'." He sighed exasperatedly.

She blinked before she nodded again and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Sano." She laughed weakly.

Hajime looked at her again and exhaled.  
"Come on, we'd better get moving before it gets dark." He suggested, dragging her by the wrist after their two squads.

Kawa blushed and nodded, following. "Hurry up, Sano." She said to her friend, letting the stoic captain lead her back to the Shinsengumi headquarters.

* * *

His glowering violet eyes met her gray when she appeared with Sano and Hajime for dinner.  
"Where in the hell did you go?" He growled, his question aimed at her.

She looked at him and lowered her gaze. "Toshi," she began.

"Uh, Kawa-chan, she went with me and we went to go get some food..." Sano began to explain.

"I'll get to you two later. Your swords and bag were gone, your room was basically empty. What in hell were you thinking, running away like a miserable child?" Hijikata snarled at him, glowering angrily at the woman as she lowered her gaze to her lap.

Hajime looked over at her with slight concern.

"I ran because I was getting tired of you bossing me around. Need I remind you that I'm a grown woman, Hijikata Toshizou, and I can do whatever the hell I want!" Kawa answered coldly, her gray eyes steely again as they locked on his glinting violet eyes.

"If you're that confident in your independence, then leave. I have no time for your insubordinate manner. **Get out of here**." He spat, perking her ears.  
She widened her eyes slightly; she quieted and looked away.

"Hijikata-san, where will she go?" Shinpachi spoke up.  
"I don't care where she goes; let someone else put up with her rebellion. She's not my immediate family." Hijikata answered tersely.

"But Hijikata-san," Heisuke began.  
"'_But_' what; or do you have something to say **too**, Todou-san?" He interjected.

"I say she stays." Souji spoke up, perking her ears; she looked over at his green eyes and saw him smile in her direction.

"That's not for you to decide, Souji." Hijikata snapped.

"I agree with Okita-san. Let her stay, perhaps she will be of some use to us in the future, Hijikata-san." Hajime chimed; she widened her eyes slightly and looked at him to see his blue gaze was for their angered vice-commander.  
"I told you that none of you have a say in this. Yasakawa is my responsibility, and therefore what I say goes." He growled.

"Toshi, what about your father's will? It states that you were to be in charge of her. It states that you were entrusted to protect her." Kondou-san spoke up finally, looking at their vice-commander with scolding eyes.

Hijkata glared slightly at their commander before he quieted, falling silent for a long moment.

Kawa looked at him before she straightened and made to leave the room.  
Souji grabbed her arm, stilling her and making her look down at him; his green eyes were confident and said 'wait'.

She sat down next to him, letting him release her arm; she looked down at her lap, her black hair cascading down her shoulder gracefully.

He finally exhaled after what felt like an eternity to her. "You can stay." He spoke quietly, perking her ears as the rest of their comrades looked up at him in surprise.

She looked at him to see there was a reluctant defeat in his violet eyes. "Thank you, Toshi-nii..." She said softly.

"You will not leave the headquarters without my consent, is that clear?" He cut across her, looking at her sternly.

Kawa nodded. "Perfectly." She amended quietly.

Hijikata returned the nod and his eyes softened minutely. "Good." He said.

"All right, you can stay with us, Kawa-chan!" Todou barked lightly as he, Shinpachi, Sano and Souji beamed at her.

She looked at them and smiled lightly. "I'm glad to be here," she said with a slight laugh.

Hajime smirked slightly at her. "With that blade-wielding arm, I would imagine you'd be honored to be here." He mused calmly.

Kawa looked at him and blushed, smiling again. "'Course I am." She replied.

"Geez, maybe yer goin' soft, Hijikata-kun, letting a girl best you in an argument like that..." Souji piped up lightly.  
"Idiot, that's not for you to decide!" Hijikata barked indignantly.

Sano, Shinpachi, and Heisuke laughed; Hajime chuckled quietly.

Kawa looked at them and laughed quietly.

* * *

_yes, as you can see, there is all ready love blossoming between Kawa and both Souji and Hajime.. but which will she choose? that's another matter for another day, i'm afraid. _

_until then, review please! thanks~ _


	3. I Will Try To Find My Place

as before, this's just a prologue for the upcoming story. enjoy!

_**Hijikata Yasakawa is mine; the Hakuouki crew belong to Kazuki Yone-sensei.**_

edit: _title is referenced from "__**Diary of Jane**__" by__** Breaking Benjamin**_

_**Chapter Three: I Will Try (To Find My Place)**_

* * *

The sounds of sparring men in the training hall were a familiar hum to her ears.  
She stood against the doorway, arms crossed at her chest, as she watched the sight with wistful gray eyes.

"You look pretty bored just standin' there," a calm voice said behind her, perking her ears.  
She looked over her shoulder, meeting the green eyes of Souji; her cheeks warmed slightly and she smirked. "Just a bit." She mused, watching him move to stand at her left.  
He rolled his eyes and returned the smirk, placing his elbow on her shoulder with a calm exhale. "Your old dojo look like this?" He wondered, looking at her.

Kawa nodded, looking out at the men and smiling thoughtfully. "A bit, yeah. I was the only girl there that was able to spar against the boys." She shrugged.

Souji smiled at her thoughtful look, raising a brow. "So I guess you kicked their asses." He mused lightly.

She laughed quietly and nodded again.  
"Most of them went home crying after the day was over. The rest of them called me names for beating them." Her shoulders shrugged again. "They were sore losers either way."

He nodded, his green eyes following her gaze to the men. _Maybe Saitou-san was right, maybe she'll be useful around here after all_, he thought. "Sounds like noone wanted to be your friend; musta sucked."

Her gaze sombered a little.  
"The girls didn't like me because I was good at something they weren't; the boys hated me because I kicked their asses on a regular basis. I spent most of my childhood on my own." She looked up at him with impassive gray eyes. "Loneliness gets to you, moreso when you're a child." She said quietly, looking away from his green gaze to the men again.

Souji nodded and lifted his hand to ruffle her black hair affectionately.  
"Well that's different now, ya know? You've got friends here." He said confidently, perking her ears.

Kawa looked up at him with a warmth staining her cheeks; she lowered her gaze and nodded, smiling.  
"I'm grateful for that." She gently pulled his hand off her head, smirking at him. "Maybe one of these days you'll spar with me." She suggested calmly.

He huffed and smirked at her. "Don't act like such a hotshot; just because ya were able to make little boys cry when you were a kid don't mean shit here. Or with me." He teased coolly.  
She lifted a brow. "Oh yeah?" She wondered quietly.

Her left fist connected with his cheek, taking him by surprise; he drew back from her side, surprise written in his eyes, as a bruise began to blossom on his cheek from her punch.

He huffed again and rubbed his cheek gingerly, that cat-like smile returning to grace his lips. "Not bad; I'll admit that was a lucky shot, though." He mused.

She returned the huff and drew her extended left arm back, a smug grin on her lips. "Lucky my ass, you didn't see it coming. Though if ya want to prove me wrong, I'm game..." She fell silent as his right foot sailed at her face; she ducked and narrowly dodged his left foot that was aimed for her face, hopping back and landing on the balls of her feet.

Souji smirked darkly at her. "You move fast, for a girl." He teased slyly, winking.

Kawa growled softly before she reached to tie her hair back into a messy top-knot, huffing.  
"Bastard," she grumbled, perking up as he lifted a hand in invitation for her to attack; she grunted and sprinted for him.

He dodged her feet that sailed at his face, grabbing her right leg in his left hand; she yelped when he tossed her away like a wooden pole.  
She dug her heels into the floor, ducking to a crouch as she panted softly. Placing her left palm on the floor of the training hall, she jumped to her feet and lunged at him again.

Souji bobbed and weaved around her angered punches that were intended for his face, a placid smile on his face. "Aww come on, Kawa-chan, yer boring me to death..!" He said lightly; his second remark was silenced as her right fist plowed into his nose, sucker-punching him and knocking him back.

Kawa panted, straightening as he recoiled and rubbed his bleeding nose gingerly. "Still bored?" She wondered lightly.

He cut his head to the side and snorted the remainder of the blood out of his nostrils, looking at her with slightly-annoyed green eyes. "You're fast. But again, that was just a lucky shot." He said calmly, straightening and walking over to the wall to grab one of the remaining wooden swords from the perch.  
"If you're that serious about your skill, let's put it to a test." He suggested.

She looked at him and also grabbed one of the wooden swords from the wall near her, nodding.  
"Right." She gripped it in her left hand and smirked up at him. "Shall we?" She wondered.

Souji gripped the sword in hand and smirked; _she's left-handed? So that explains things_, he mused. "Ladies first." He said with a wink.  
Kawa nodded again and lunged, dropping her sword to her left side as she neared him.

He dodged, the two wooden swords making a loud '_clack_' when his "blade" hit hers by chance; he lunged, baring his blade high.

She caught it with her own, a louder '_clack_' ringing out when their swords clashed; her heels dug into the floorboards as he forced her back against a wall, her teeth grinding together in a grimace.

Souji smiled smoothly at her flushed face, at the stubborn fire that burned in her gray eyes and made them resemble cold steel. "Being in the heat of a battle makes you out to be twice as gorgeous, Kawa-chan~," he mused in a purr.

Kawa blushed as her insides curled at hearing him sound so alluring; she huffed and grinned up at him. "Keep it in your pants and shove off," she shoved against his weight and forced him back.

He grinned easily at dismantling her cool, holding the sword in one hand.  
"Now now, that's not how a young gorgeous woman should talk," he scolded nonchalantly, dodging her swipe for his head.

She swung the blade at his side, watching him skirt away. "Shut up!" She barked indignantly, blocking his rebuttal and knocking him back, making him skid into the floor from her shove.

Souji smiled at her. "If you lose, you owe me a kiss. Sounds fair?" He wondered.

Kawa's cheeks burned and she spluttered out a huff. "N-no, it doesn't...!" She stammered, widening her eyes slightly when his blade neared her unguarded neck.

She dodged it narrowly and skirted around him, swinging her sword at his back; a loud '_clack_' rang out in the air, surprising her as she saw he caught her sword with a casual right hand.

He disengaged the blades and forced her back, watching her heels skid into the floorboards before she tripped over a discarded wooden sword, making her yelp as she fell back.

The back of her head hurt like hell; she grimaced, opening one eye at the ceiling overhead.  
He crouched over her, a smug light shining in his green eyes. "Luck seems to be on my side today, Kawa-chan," he sighed.

She blushed darkly at having him lording over her, shoving him off as she sat up and rubbed the back of her head gingerly. "Oww... Shit." She muttered, refusing to meet his smug eyes and preferably smug grin to match.

Souji smiled innocently when she finally looked up into his green eyes, her gray eyes showing reluctant defeat that she dared not voice to him.  
_Even at her most stubborn, damn she was beautiful_, he mused, his eyes briefly flicking down at her full lips; kissing her would be something he _**definitely**_ didn't wanna miss anytime soon.

Kawa crossed her arms at her chest, looking away. "Fine, you won." She grumbled softly.

He smiled wider and chuckled. "_**And**_?" He wondered.  
She scowled up at him, flushed and annoyed. "Just get it over with." She growled, her gray eyes threatening.

Souji leaned forward on his hands and knees, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

Kawa blushed more and shivered, her insides curling again at feeling his lips on hers, another shiver rolling down her spine as she realized he was gentle beneath that cool, sometimes annoying, confident exterior.

He pulled back from her face to see her cheeks burning as red as his _haori_, her gray eyes flustered; he tilted his head to one side.  
"Somethin' the matter?" He asked.

She shook her head and straightened to her feet, reaching to rub the back of her head gingerly. "No, I-I'm fine. Um, I'm gonna go." She replied, smiling for him before she dashed out of the training hall.

Okita Souji was confused; he frowned after her retreat, huffing and looking about to see the rest of the men sparring had stopped to watch the events. "What're you guys staring at? Patrols start soon." He demanded indignantly, frowning and throwing them a cold look.

The men shuffled and returned to their original task, looking away quickly from the annoyed and confused captain.  
He sighed quietly and straightened, walking out of the training hall.

_Did I do something wrong_? He wondered to himself, rethinking the kiss in his head.

It felt like she was afraid.  
He frowned.

_What the hell is she afraid of? It's not like I was gonna hurt her, or take advantage of her_, he thought.  
He thought of her curved hips and slightly ample breasts and smirked slightly.

_Well, I wouldn't have taken MUCH advantage of her_, _anyway_, he reasoned.

* * *

She didn't appear at dinner.

Hijikata frowned slightly at the absence of his charge, exhaling.

"I wonder where Kawa-chan is; her food's gonna get cold." Heisuke wondered aloud, already half-way through with his own meal as he looked over at the empty spot where she would sit.

"Maybe she's sick or somethin'," Shinpachi chimed around nibbling on a fish bone.

Souji looked over at where she would sit and sighed, straightening to pick up her still-uneaten food.  
"I'll take her food to her; already finished with my dinner, anyway." He excused himself, glancing back at Hijikata and smiling lightly before he exited the room and went to go find their missing companion.

"That's a little strange, even for Souji," Kondou-san pointed out more to himself. "I'd hope Yasakawa-kun is doing alright." He mused.

"I'm sure she's fine, Kondou-san. She probably didn't feel like coming to dinner," Hijikata excused his half-sister calmly.

"Yeah, but why did Souji take her food to her, then?" Sano wondered.

Hajime glanced up from eating to let his eyes wander over to where the girl would sit. "For all we know, they probably got into an argument." He offered calmly.

Shinpachi made a face. "He'd better not have said somethin' stupid to her, or I'll kick his ass for it!" He vowed.

"Cool it, will ya? I don't think Souji told her anythin' out of line, Shinpachi," Heisuke piped up.  
Sano rolled his eyes at their banter. "Souji's not as much of an idiot as you two are saying he is; especially not with Kawa." He added quietly.

Hijikata looked over at the tall brunette from eating.  
"What makes you say that?" He wondered, his tone low; if Sano was saying what he suspected he was saying, Souji was in for it.

Sano blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Nothin' bad, Hijikata-san! Honest; Souji wouldn't hurt the poor girl!" He said lightly, hoping to change subject otherwise he'd be a dead man before he would see tomorrow.

* * *

He knocked on her door. "Kawa?" He wondered.

She looked up from polishing her _wakizashi_ at hearing his familiar voice, scowling. "What?" She replied.  
He frowned slightly at her dismissive tone, exhaling. "Food's getting cold. You coming out?" He asked patiently.

Kawa quieted, looking down at her short sword. "Not hungry." She replied, holding the cleaning cloth in her mouth and continuing to polish the blade.

Souji frowned again. "You're not good at lying, y'know." He pointed out, faintly hearing her stomach growl from the other side of the door.

Her cheeks warmed; she huffed. "Go away." She retorted stiffly.

He sighed. "For pity's sake," he muttered to himself, using his free hand that wasn't holding the tray to throw her door open.

She grimaced at being slightly blinded from the dying sunlight's brightness, focusing on his silhouette that shadowed the doorway and blocked the sunlight from hitting her in the face; she scowled, watching him close her door a little before he walked towards her.

Her fingers coiled around the pommel of her _wakizashi_ as her gray eyes turned to steel. "I said I wasn't hungry." She protested.

He scowled patiently at her, placing the tray down next to her as he sat down. "You sure are a stubborn one," he mused, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck.

Kawa quieted again and lowered her gaze, looking at the rice, soup and fish.  
"If you got a problem with it, just go. I didn't ask you to come into my room in the first place," she snapped.

Souji looked up at her with one open green eye, meeting her gaze. "Well since ya said it so nicely, I'm _staying_." He said calmly.

She balked. "Souji, get out of my room." She snapped indignantly.

He dropped the calm facade and frowned at her. "I'm not leavin' until you eat." He stated stubbornly.

She glared at him, her gray eyes like cold steel; she put aside her polishing kit and sword, straightening to her feet.  
"Quit playing around, I'm serious!" She declared, grabbing his scruff; his left hand lashed out, grabbing her wrist and surprising her.

His green eyes were like hard jade as they locked gaze with her surprised gray eyes. "I'm serious, too." He said simply.  
She blushed as his fingers squeezed on her wrist, glowering into his stare defiantly. "What do you want?" She demanded softly.

His jade-like gaze softened as he finally got her to cave.  
"The others are worried about you because ya didn't show up." He gripped her wrist again. "I was worried, too." He added quietly.

Kawa's cheeks burned; she tried to shake his grip off, looking away. "Souji," she began.  
Souji squeezed again. "Look, if it's about that kiss, earlier..." He interjected.

She blushed more and quieted; he nodded slightly, gently pulling her to sit down next to him. "I guess I freaked out, about the kiss. Didn't think you meant to actually do it," she shrugged.

He smiled slightly. "Can you blame me? I mean, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He complimented, seeing her cheeks burn.

Kawa lowered her gaze. "I've seen girls that're prettier than me," she mumbled.

Souji huffed. "They must not live around here, then, 'cuz you're the prettiest girl I've met." He remarked.

She scoffed. "If that's the case, maybe I should work at Shimabara since you say I'm so beautiful..." She began annoyedly.  
He frowned at her tone; his right hand grabbed her scruff and gently pushed her down onto the floor.

Kawa widened her eyes slightly, blushing heavily as he crouched over her, his green eyes like hard jade again.  
"S-Souji," she stammered, making to get up when he pinned her wrists to the floor beneath her.

Souji looked down at her surprised and slightly aroused gray eyes, a calm smile forming on his lips.  
"Yer too defiant for that. Besides, if other men tried touchin' you I'd have to kill them." He added, a vow in his grim tone.

She looked away from his penetrating green eyes. "Really?" She wondered softly.

He nodded. "Of course. Your place is here, with us. Not out there, selling yourself like a scrap of meat. You're too beautiful to be out in that kind of world. How the hell else would I be able to see ya without having to pay to visit?" He wondered, his hands squeezing gently on her wrists.

Kawa looked up at him with slightly wide gray eyes, a fresh blush staining her cheeks. "You guys really feel that way, about where my place is...?" She asked.  
Souji rolled his eyes and sighed. "_God_, you're as thick-headed as Hijikata-san. Of course you belong here! We wouldn't have voted against him if we didn't want you here." He stated stubbornly.

She blushed again and nodded, smiling weakly. "So this is what it's like to have friends," she mused aloud.  
He nodded slightly and his green eyes softened.  
"Yeah, it's a nice feeling." He replied quietly, ducking to plant a soft kiss on her forehead before he released her wrists and straightened, letting her sit up.

Kawa threw her arms around his neck, surprising him; she smiled into his shoulder. "Thanks, Souji, for coming." She thanked him softly.  
Souji smiled at her as he embraced her, his arms folding on her back. "No problem." He shrugged.

Her stomach growled loud, interrupting their miniscule moment; she blushed, hearing him laugh into her collar. "Sorry," she mumbled.  
He smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "Don't be; it's cute." He said lightly, making her cheeks burn more.

She pouted. "Letch." She muttered.

* * *

_sorry that this chapter seems so short; there's a couple of key things that are going to occur in the next/ last chapter, so i'm saving the suspense until then~ lol_

_until then, keep reading; and review please! thanks~_


	4. Rain on the Red Hepatica

so this story comes to a close. this may be the last chapter, but the story doesn't end here. there's one last story to tell after this is over.  
enjoy!

_**Hijikata Yasakawa**__ is __**mine**__; the __**Hakuouki**__ crew belong to __**Kazuki Yone-sensei.**_

_**Chapter Four: Rain on the Red Hepatica**_

* * *

Quiet shuffling sounded outside of her room.  
Her eyes opened at the sound as she perked her ears and listened for the shuffling again.

The sound of her door being thrown open spooked her; she sat upright in bed, looking at the source of the noise; her eyes widened.

A man's silhouette stood in the doorway of her room, head bowed down and shoulders hunched; the silhouette moved until the man straightened and looked at her.  
A sickening feeling made her stomach knot as she looked from the man's snow white hair to his wide red eyes.

_What the hell is he...?_ She wondered. He didn't seem to be acting.. _normal_.

The man snickered. "B-blood...!" He snarled, his voice maniacal, as he drew the _katana_ at his hip and lunged at the woman.

"_**TOSHI**__!_"

His name shot through the night as she scrambled away from the demon the man had become, searching frantically for her _katana_ or _wakizashi_, anything to fight with.

"**_TOSHI_**_!_" She shrieked.

A rushing of footsteps sounded distantly as the glint of silver appeared behind the man; a _katana'_s blade stabbed through the man's heart.  
Her eyes widened alertly.

The man gurgled a little before the blade was yanked out of his chest; he sputtered and fell face-down, making her yelp and crush herself against the far wall.

Her eyes reluctantly left the figure of the dead man and lifted up to see the familiar sight of Saitou Hajime sheathing his blade. "H-Hajime," she stammered softly in relief.

He met her horror-filled eyes and nodded slightly. "Are you all right?" He asked gently, looking down at the man a second time before he stepped over him to go to the frightened woman.

She nodded slightly, looking at the man. "Hajime, what... what the hell is he?" She asked, looking up at him, searching his blue eyes for some sort of answer.  
He looked over at the man and then met her gaze. "He..." He began to answer.

"**_Yasakawa_**_!_"

The rushing of footsteps sounded before Hijikata, Souji, and the others appeared as well with her half-brother in the lead. His violet eyes locked on her surprised gray eyes and his shoulders slumped in relief.

He looked down at the felled man and his gaze tightened; _damn it_, he mentally swore, looking over at the girl before he stepped over the body to go to her. "Yasakawa, are you alright?" He asked as he noticed she had remained unscathed.

She nodded again, rubbing her arm gingerly. "I'm okay; Hajime, he saved me." She explained, looking at the blue-eyed captain at her side and smiling slightly in gratitude.

Hijikata nodded, looking over his shoulder at the body and sighing a little. "Sano, Shinpachi, take the body away." He straightened to his feet and looked to Kondou-san. "We need to talk. Kawa," he beckoned quietly, letting the two captains lift the body and take it away before he exited her room, Sannan-san, Kondou-san and Heisuke following shortly.

Souji remained, looking over at the girl as Hajime straightened as well and followed them, leaving him alone with her. "Kawa," he urged at seeing she still sat on the floor, walking forward.

Kawa looked up at him, perking up as he offered a hand of aid; she took his hand, squeezing his fingers, before helping herself up. "Right." She nodded.

He looked at her and sort of sighed to himself, leading her after the others by the hand.

* * *

Kawa looked down at the vial of red liquid placed before her, frowning. "So that can make you go mad." She guessed quietly.

Sannan-san nodded.  
"Along with the perks of what it does, that is the main defect of this "medicine"." He met her gray eyes and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry you had to see the negative side of it, earlier, Yasakawa-kun." He replied.

She blinked before she smiled weakly, waving it away. "Don't bother apologizin', Sannan-san, really! I wasn't that scared," she assured him.

Her half-brother scowled at her. "Don't act brave, Kawa. It's not something trivial. You know that, now." He scolded.

She scowled at him. "Look, I said I wasn't afraid, Toshi! I'm not a baby, I can handle it." She retorted defiantly.

He reluctantly backed down, knowing that what she'd seen must have scared the hell out of her. But, considering she was too stubborn to admit her fear, he knew arguing it would most likely be a losing battle.  
"Can I go back to bed now? I'm sleepy." She wondered, stirring his reverie, her gray eyes meeting his violet when he looked at her.

He nodded. "Yes, you're dismissed." He replied, seeing her straighten and exit the meeting room to go to her own room back to a warm bed.

"Okita-san's right, she really is a stubborn one." Hajime mused aloud, his blue eyes also following the girl's exit out of the meeting room, returning to meet their vice-commander's violet gaze.

Souji huffed and ribbed his friend. "Told ya. Look, Kawa-chan's a strong girl, she'll get over it; don't go worryin' too much over her, Hijikata-san. She's not a little girl anymore." He assured him, perking his ears.

Hijikata returned the huff and scowled. "I know that, Souji." He sighed quietly and looked at the door. "She's too damn stubborn to ever admit anything." He muttered.

* * *

Someone knocked on her door.

She looked up. "It's open," she said.

Her eyes widened slightly as the sight of her half-brother standing in her doorway surprised her. "Toshi..? Is something wrong?" She asked confusedly, watching him enter her room.

He looked at the polishing kit in her lap and the _katana_ held in hand. "I thought you said you were sleepy." He mused, perking her ears.  
She looked down at her _katana_ and shrugged. "I was, but now I can't sleep." She explained sheepishly.

Hijikata smirked slightly at her response. "Talk about indecisive." He said, walking forward to sit down with her.  
Kawa made a face, pursing her full lips in a pout. "Just tell me why you're here before I kick you out of my room." She warned impatiently.

He looked at her and his violet eyes were somber. "I must apologize, for letting you see that Fury." He apologized quietly, perking her ears again.  
She lowered her gaze to the katana in her lap and shrugged innocently. "It wasn't your fault, Toshi..." She began to excuse him.

"Yes it was! I was entrusted to protect you and I wasn't there when it tried to kill you." He interjected sternly, meeting her slightly surprised gaze.

Kawa lowered her gaze again and sheathed her _katana_, looking at him. "I know you were." She smiled weakly.  
"For some reason, your name was the first name I thought of, when I was in trouble. I guess I'm finally getting used to being your little sister." She slightly gripped the sheath in her hands. "I feel like a weak brat, not being able to draw my sword against that monster." She whispered.

Hijikata scowled at her and noticed her _katana_ was shaking in her grip; he grabbed her wrist, stopping the shaking, and meeting her stare. "You're not weak." He snapped.

She quieted and looked down at his larger hand minutely squeezing her wrist in his grip. "Then why do I feel like a failure for not being prepared to fight? Hajime stabbed the bastard in his chest, it was something I could've done!" She argued.

He frowned and lessened his grip on her wrist. "You were scared. Besides, you didn't know a thing about Furies until tonight. Everyone has to be scared at some point, right?" He reasoned.

She met his gaze and huffed. "Except you. Everyone here calls you the 'Demon Vice-Commander'. I doubt you're ever afraid of anythin'..." She remarked.

He shook his head. "I was afraid tonight, when I heard you screaming. I thought the worst, and I practically failed in my duty to protect the one person here who is blood." He stated, staring at her slightly surprised eyes.

Kawa lowered her gaze and shrugged. "Toshi," she said quietly.

Hijikata smiled slightly at her, releasing her wrist to rest his hand on her head, tousling her black hair. "Even though you've only been with us for seven months, I can already see that you're strong enough to stand alongside a group of stubborn idiots like the Shinsengumi." He admitted, perking her ears.

She blushed at his compliment before she laughed quietly. "I think you're softening up at last, Toshi-nii-chan," she remarked with a giggle.  
He made a face, earning another laugh; his violet eyes softened and he sighed. "Shut up, otherwise I'm going to have to start calling you '_brat_' again." He warned.

She smiled sheepishly and gently punted his hand off her head, a smirk on her lips. "Has it really been seven months? Geez, it only feels like it's been three." She wondered.  
He nodded and shrugged. "It does feel like that, doesn't it?" He ruffled her hair a second time before straightening to his feet. "Go to bed, it's been a long night." He advised.

Kawa nodded and smiled up at him. "Fine, fine. Good night, Toshi. And thanks for worrying; but maybe Souji's right, you do worry too much." She added thoughtfully.  
Hijikata scowled at that, seeing her laugh; he sighed and opened her door. "Remind me to kill him tomorrow," he remarked over his shoulder.

She watched him leave and sighed softly. "Nah, he's too much of an idiot to be killed by your hand, nii-chan," she muttered, blowing the lantern out and crawling into bed.

* * *

_**[December, 1864]**_

Snow fell softly.

She pouted slightly up at the snowfall, rubbing her arms gingerly. "Geez, I forgot what it feels like to be cold," she muttered to herself.

A small ball of snow flew at her face; she yelped and flinched, shaking her head of snow as her attacker laughed lightly.  
She looked up to see a light smirk on the face of Okita Souji. "Damn it, Souji, that was cold!" She barked, jumping to her feet.

He smiled again and huffed. "Ya looked so mopey, I just had to, Kawa-chan!" He teased lightly, perking up as she tossed a snowball at his face, ducking the flying ball of frost.  
She scowled at him. "You're such an idiot, Souji." She scolded, her breath coming out in a soft fog as she stared at his green eyes annoyedly.

Souji smirked calmly and rolled his eyes, walking forward to plant a hand on her head, ruffling her hair.  
"Just because yer so damn beautiful don't mean ya hafta scold me like a kid," he remarked calmly, perking her ears.

Kawa blushed and looked away, huffing. "Shut up, idiot letch." She grumbled, blushing more when he cupped her cheek and met his gentle green gaze; she lowered her gaze and shivered, rubbing her arms again.

He released her cheek reluctantly to walk away.  
She looked at him confusedly. "Souji...?" She began.  
"Be back shortly," he called lightly over his shoulder.

Kawa nodded and retreated to sit down on the walkway, her legs dangling over the ledge as she looked about the snow-covered courtyard.

_It's already winter here... Have I really stayed with them this long_? She wondered, a wistful smile making its way to her lips as she recalled the comedy sessions during meal times, and sparring sessions with Souji or even Hajime on occasion, in the past.

She looked up at the darkening evening sky covered with clouds and smiled.  
"Guess it has been a long while. It only feels like it's been a few weeks." She mused softly to the snow falling down around her.

"Oi, catch!"  
A blue _haori_ flew at her face, landing on her head; she yanked the _haori_ off, looking to see her friend returned, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the blue and white _haori_ he donned over his shoulders.

"What's this for?" She wondered, looking down at the _haori_ he'd given her to see it matched his own.

Souji plopped down at her side, brushing snow from his hair.  
"Ain't it obvious? You were freezing your ass off a minute ago, dummy." He replied, watching her shrug the _haori_ on and pull the lapels to cover her torso from the cold; his eyes softened. "You look better with that _haori_ on; that color fits you." He said quietly, seeing her blush again.

Kawa huffed and cut her gaze to the side, her legs kicking in the air beneath the walkway. "You're just bein' nice, as usual." She remarked, looking up when she felt him pull snow out of her hair.

He chuckled and smiled again as some of the flurries had melted in her hair, making strands glisten and stand out. "Riight, and I'm Hijikata-san." He said with a roll of his eyes.

She laughed and smirked. "Nah, a thousand things have to go wrong before you're ever like my brother." Her eyes softened. "Besides, I like the person that you are. Even though you're annoying, sometimes." She mused, wrinkling her nose.

Souji huffed, his breath coming out in a soft fog, as he ruffled her hair. "I'm touched, but that last part wasn't called for." He remarked sorely, looking away.  
Kawa giggled and smiled up at him, resting her head on his shoulder; he blinked before his green eyes softened and he smiled warmly.

"Okita-san!" A voice called nearby, perking his ears; she moved away from his side, blushing slightly as he glared daggers in the direction the voice had come from.  
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking at her. "Sorry, I kinda forgot about my patrol duty tonight." He apologized.

She shook her head and smiled again. "It's okay, I guess I was getting a little too comfortable with my head on your shoulder, like that." She replied, rubbing her neck.

Souji smiled at her and shook his head. "I thought ya looked cute like that," he remarked, seeing her cheeks burn a shade of red he found made her look adorable.

Kawa rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "Get moving, Okita; otherwise my brother will chew you out later." She scolded, pouting.

He smiled again and laughed, planting his hand on her head and ruffling her hair.  
"I'm goin', I'm goin'." He kissed her forehead sweetly, making her blush again, before he smiled and winked. "If I don't see ya later, sleep well, beautiful." He added, removing his hand from her head and straightening to his feet.

She smiled after him and watched him dash away; she sighed and looked up at the darkening sky again. "Don't get killed out there, idiot." She muttered.

* * *

_as you might have guessed, the ending of this chapter is before Chizuru meets the Shinsengumi in the first season of the anime._  
_the next installment is coming up soon, so look forward to that! until then, smile pretty!  
_  
_thanks for reading; and if you haven't review all ready, _**REVIEW**_. thank you again~ ^^_


End file.
